Camphor Laurel Root for Turning

[doragus]

I have access to a very large camphor laurel root ball...and by large I mean very large - think 2 metres round and a metre thick! The tree had been dead and cut for some years and the root pack was just excavated. Seeems to be some spalting in places while other areas look like new. It is not rotten or punky but very confused grain patterns. The wood is still quite wet from being in the ground. I don't have a chain saw that would handle completely dismembering the root but I can cut some reasonable pieces with the 16" saw I have. I have turned camphor laurel trunk wood which was quite dry (good results and nice to turn) but have no experience with root material.
Any advice on preparing and turning this material?
Thanks Chris

[Paul39]

Roots have wonderful crazy grain structure. They also have embedded abrasive dirt, rocks, broken glass and metal chunks.


When you get it out of the ground, wash off with stream of water or pressure washer. Lacking that, let it dry and beat it with a club or big hammer to get as much of the dirt off as possible. Gouge out dirt and rocks with an old screw driver. Wire brush where you will make the saw cut and cut into manageable pieces.

For roughing on the lathe, I use a sharpened scrap rotary lawn mower blade. It is sharpened frequently as needed like a scraper, about 80 degree angle. I also have a tool of 5/8 inch square mystery metal ground like a scraper. Anything easily sharpened that you don't care too much about will work.

Once you are down to mostly clean timber use your regular tools. If or when you hear tic, tic, tic, shut down and look for and gouge out the rock, glass, or metal.

It is almost always worth the extra work and wear of tools because of the wonderful swirling grain / figure. Show photos please.

[doragus]

Thanks Paul
Alredy on my third chainsaw blade. Rough turned a bowl and vase and drying them out. The wood is still very wet so I will need to be patient.
Chris

[Tonyz]

Roots have wonderful crazy grain structure. They also have embedded abrasive dirt, rocks, broken glass and metal chunks.


When you get it out of the ground, wash off with stream of water or pressure washer. Lacking that, let it dry and beat it with a club or big hammer to get as much of the dirt off as possible. Gouge out dirt and rocks with an old screw driver.
Show photos please.

use the local car wash,, late in the evening, Ive done this before loaded 4 big mallee stumps into the ute, down to self car wash, use their water dump the crap at their yard,